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Seagrass

Among the most important habitats in Florida's estuarine environments, seagrass beds are indispensable
for the role they play in cycling nutrients, supplying food for wildlife, stabilizing sediments, and
providing habitat for juvenile and adult finfish and shellfish. Use the interactive map below to
observe the size, density and location of seagrass beds from year to year. The graph shows how the total
amount of seagrass in the bay has changed over time.
Learn more about seagrasses »

Interactive Seagrass Coverage Viewer

This interactive map shows seagrass extents as they existed between 2004 and 2016.
Use the slider to toggle the year being displayed to demonstrate how seagrass coverage has changed over time.

Showing Seagrass Coverage for

1948

1999

2001

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

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Continuous Seagrass

Patchy Seagrass

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Artificial Reefs

Artificial reefs are created by the placing steel and concrete in carefully selected locations. Once the structure is established, tiny free-floating creatures attach, grow, and quickly attract larger marine life and fish. These lush natural-looking reefs replace lost habitats while creating recreational opportunities for fishing and diving.
Learn more about artificial reefs »

Artificial Reef Locations in
Brushy Bayou

Shoreline Morphology

The Sarasota Bay study area is highly urbanized. Since the early 1900s, dredge and fill activities and various shoreline hardening projects have resulted in significant losses of ecologically important habitats. This information was gathered as part of a study to assess restoration opportunities in the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) watershed.
Learn more about shoreline morphology »

Vegetation Sampling

Vegetation sampling is the identification and quantification of plant species
and communities. Vegetation sampling is a tool used in environmental assessments
and can inform a myriad of assessment goals including biomass availability,
water quality concerns, management benchmarks, and determining the introduction
and establishment of invasive species. Sampling can be conducted via destructive
or non-destructive methods. Learn more about vegetation sampling from the links and documents listed below.